The present invention relates to an axle unit, in particular to a fastening system for fixing a longitudinal control arm to an axle tube.
Axle units are known from the prior art, in particular fixing axle guides to axle tubes. Various fastening mechanisms have become established here. Thus, firstly a force-fit combination of the longitudinal control arm and the axle tube is produced in that for example U-shaped brackets, which are provided with threads at each of the ends thereof, serve to clamp the axle tube with respect to the control arm. The disadvantage of these U-shaped brackets is the large number of additional components that are required to achieve a sufficiently sturdy seating of the longitudinal control arm on the axle tube and simultaneously prevent rotation of the axle tube as far as possible. Secondly, up to now it has proven expedient to weld the axle tube to the longitudinal control arm, wherein numerous possible weld shapes can be used to produce an integral bond between the axle tube and the longitudinal control arm. The disadvantage of an integral bond is that said bond cannot be separated without extensively destroying the material of the control arm or of the axle tube, and that, during the welding process, a change in the material structure takes place on the longitudinal control arm and on the axle tube in the region of the weld zone, wherein in particular the brittle fracture tendency increases, and material-internal stresses can arise, which promote crack formation in the weld zone.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an axle unit, in particular for fixing an axle tube to a control arm element, which remedies the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular is simple to assemble, has only a small number of components, and allows a secure connection of the axle tube to the control arm.